All that glitters will turn to gold as the Silver City hosts its fourth annual Broken Heel Festival in celebration of drag culture this month. The festival will take place throughout Broken Hill from September 7-9. Known for its starring role in the classic Australian drag queen road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the city’s famous Palace Hotel will host a number of performances and events. The festival will feature comedy, cabaret, live music and social activities paying homage to the film and its stage adaptation, while the Town Square will host the Main Drag In Drag street parade. Festival director Esther La Rovere said last year’s event was the biggest and most successful to date and she expected this year to be even better. “It’s such a colourful event, and of course everyone can relate to the street scenes of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, so they already know Broken Hill and its welcoming culture,” she said. The program will feature performances by some of Australia’s best drag queens, drag kings, bio queens, women who adopt a traditional drag persona, showgirls and DJs. Indigenous singer Christine Anu, best known for her hit My Island Home, has been named as this year’s headliner. Anu won’t be the only Indigenous star on the program, with young performers Jojo Zaho and Felicia Foxx being mentored by an experienced drag queen. ”It’s designed to help them further their art and enable them to grow within the drag community and provide a solid platform to grow as performers,” Ms La Rovere said. The festival will also boast a dedicated service, The Silver City Stiletto train, which will travel from Sydney to Broken Hill. The train booked out quickly, however if you can add your name to a waiting list via the festival website. Bus tours will also be offered by Sydney Planet Dwellers and Adelaide company Buses-R-Us (details on the website). Ms La Rovere said the festival had attracted a strong following who returned regularly and was also attracting new visitors and larger crowds each year. For more, visit www.bhfestival.com or phone (08) 8088-1699. This story originally appeared on The Senior

Broken Heel Festival to celebrate all things drag

Broken Hill's Town Square will host the Main Drag In Drag street parade at Broken Hill's annual celebration of drag culture.

All that glitters will turn to gold as the Silver City hosts its fourth annual Broken Heel Festival in celebration of drag culture this month.

The festival will take place throughout Broken Hill from September 7-9.

Known for its starring role in the classic Australian drag queen road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the city’s famous Palace Hotel will host a number of performances and events.

The festival will feature comedy, cabaret, live music and social activities paying homage to the film and its stage adaptation, while the Town Square will host the Main Drag In Drag street parade.

Festival director Esther La Rovere said last year’s event was the biggest and most successful to date and she expected this year to be even better.

“It’s such a colourful event, and of course everyone can relate to the street scenes of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, so they already know Broken Hill and its welcoming culture,” she said.

The program will feature performances by some of Australia’s best drag queens, drag kings, bio queens, women who adopt a traditional drag persona, showgirls and DJs.

Indigenous singer Christine Anu, best known for her hit My Island Home, has been named as this year’s headliner.

Anu won’t be the only Indigenous star on the program, with young performers Jojo Zaho and Felicia Foxx being mentored by an experienced drag queen.

”It’s designed to help them further their art and enable them to grow within the drag community and provide a solid platform to grow as performers,” Ms La Rovere said.

The festival will also boast a dedicated service, The Silver City Stiletto train, which will travel from Sydney to Broken Hill.

The train booked out quickly, however if you can add your name to a waiting list via the festival website.

Bus tours will also be offered by Sydney Planet Dwellers and Adelaide company Buses-R-Us (details on the website).

Ms La Rovere said the festival had attracted a strong following who returned regularly and was also attracting new visitors and larger crowds each year.